For many observers of Iran it is hard to fathom that a country under severe international sanctions can also be the hottest market for luxury cars in the Middle East. According to one report, “Maserati and Porsche sell more cars in Tehran than in many metropolitan areas in the United States or the European Union.”

Parivash Akbarzadeh, 20, has drawn scorn in Iran after the crash of a luxury car she was driving killed her and the car’s rich young owner, Mohammad Hossein Rabbani-Shirazi.

But the recent fatal crashes have revealed another side of Iran: A country in which the gap between rich and poor is on the rise, and nepotism and corruption is making a minority super wealthy and a majority struggling to make a living: “It might have been surprising and confusing to discover that, at the peak of sanctions enforcement, hundreds of luxury cars found their way into Iran’s markets. At that time, government officials were not able to import the necessary medical supplies and food — and yet the rich and the well connected managed to get their Maseratis using hard currencies. One could say that, for them, a Porsche is more important than bread. Children of privileged officials enjoy these luxuries to the fullest, and feel protected from any possible intrusion.”